Russia's Putin: If West wants to beat us on battlefield, let them try

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks in front of the monument 'Fatherland, Valor, Honor', near the headquarters of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, in Moscow, Russia, 30 June, 2022.

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia has barely begun in Ukraine and challenged the West to fight it on the battlefield.

Putin made a hawkish speech to the parliamentary leaders four months after the start of the war. He stated that the chances for any negotiation would diminish the longer the conflict drags on.

"Today, we hear that they want defeat us on the field. He said, "Let them try."

Russia accuses NATO of supporting a proxy war against Russia by placing sanctions on its economy and increasing the supply of weapons advanced to Ukraine.

Putin spoke out about the possibility of negotiations, while boasting that Russia was only getting started.

He said, "Everyone should be aware that, in the vast majority, we haven’t started anything yet seriously." We don't oppose peace talks. But, those who reject them need to know that the further they go, the more difficult it will be for us to negotiate with them."

After repeated statements by Moscow that negotiations with Kyiv were dead, it was the first mention of diplomacy in weeks.

The Russian forces invaded Ukraine on February 24, and have since captured large swathes, including the entire eastern region of Luhansk.

However, Russia's progress is slower than most analysts expected. Russian forces were defeated in their initial attempts to seize the capital Kyiv and Kharkiv.